Lingering Ghost, a Prideshipping one-shot
by FluffyTeta-chan
Summary: Ιt's been some time now that Yami has passed on to the Afterlife and Seto can't seem to get him out of his head... "The truth was, he felt ridiculous... clinging on a ghost... a boy he never really knew and would never have the chance to know. [...] He was obviously long gone and yet his lingering memory was still haunting Seto."


"Seto?"

The CEO sat up and looked straight in his brother's night blue eyes. He hugged his knees, his back resting on his pillows.  
"What... what is it, Mokuba? When did you get in here?"

The boy smiled and climbed on the bed, next to him. He stroked his older brother's messy hair with a smile. "Just now. You... you can't sleep, can you?"

Seto smiled bitterly. He barely got any sleep lately. Everytime he closed his eyes, he saw... him...  
And that was wrong... and oh, so unfair.

"Seto? What's bothering you?" the raven-haired boy got under his brother's blanket.

"If only I knew, Mokuba..." he said quietly, giving the boy a sad smile.

How long had it been...? Days...? Months...? Years...? He had no idea. Summer vacation was about to end... soon, he had to go back to school...

How long ago was it...? When was the last time... he had seen him?

The memory of watching him walk into the light... his jacket somehow turning into a long, purple cape the moment he stepped in... the Afterlife?

Why was it such a painful memory?

There was a time when he thought that Yugi was a strange little boy. The cute and innocent stripling, who had some sort of hidden, sharp and dynamic personality that only showed when he dueled.  
Noticing the difference between the two "Yugies" was unavoidable. One was his small classmate... and the other was this... strange, determined teenager, whose sharp, beautiful eyes brought an unwanted, annoying longing feeling inside Seto.

He couldn't ignore his obvious attraction towards the small boy, but... who was it really that Seto was attracted to? Yugi, or... his mysterious "alter ego"?

Was it all an act? Was little Yugi pretending to be someone else to intimidate his rivals? Was the determined duelist acting like an innocent school-boy so people would falsely underestimate him and pave his way to victory with misconception?

He even caught himself thinking Yugi had a split personality.

It was either that... or Yugi was indeed, two different people living in the same body.

Disconcerting, scary... ridiculous thoughts.

Inevitably, of course, the shocking truth came to light.

Did he really have the time to get to know who Atem really was?  
Before he had the chance to realize the difference... before he had the chance to understand who was the one he so passionately wanted to defeat... before he had the chance to... understand what was that strange, warm feeling those intense purple eyes were giving him... he was gone.

Looking back, he was more than glad Yugi was the one that ended up dueling Atem in the end, in that ceremonial duel that would send the spirit in the Afterlife.  
After getting the satisfaction of winning against the former Pharaoh, he would watch him walk into the light... and realize it was all over.

The thought that there still was the... pendency of a duel that would never come, Seto had the illusion that maybe he would see Atem again.

The truth was, he felt ridiculous... clinging on a ghost... a boy he never really knew and would never have the chance to know.

Being surrounded by people that knew him only made matters worse.

Watching Yugi smile, with a shadow travelling in his eyes... the absence of a second mind right beside his strange and unpleasant.  
Catching Anzu crying alone in an empty classroom... or watching the mutt hide his eyes behind his ridiculous blonde fringe, while Honda lowered his head and tightened his fists...

Oh, they missed him...  
And so did he...

He was obviously long gone and yet his lingering memory was still haunting Seto.

"Seto?"  
He stared at his little brother as if he had just noticed his presence.  
"Sorry, I... dozed off..."

Mokuba stretched his legs on the bed, getting comfortable next to Seto.

"Don't you have a bed to do that on?" Seto smirked.  
"Yes. But it's so... so far away... and it's so cold outside..." Mokuba whispered dramatically.  
"And you are too bored to move..." Seto raised an eyebrow.  
"Busted... so, can I sleep here? It's a double bed, you won't even notice I'm here." Mokuba said, giving him his infamous puppy eyes.

Seto rolled his eyes and messed up his brother's hair. Maybe having his little brother beside him would help him sleep...  
Maybe Mokuba's presence would keep him safe from the strange ghost...

Besides... he was pretty sure he would wake up curled up on the side of the bed, with Mokuba comically sprawled on it.  
What was there not to love about this?

"Fine..." he said quietly, as he made sure his brother was covered with the blanket.

"Seto..?  
"Yes?"  
"It will be alright..." he said sleepishly, giving the teenager a soft smile.

The strange thing was... he believed him...


End file.
